A Houseful of Girls

administered a sharp shock-productive of much startled speculation, and roused distrust, even in those quarters which had not suffered financially b

at in awed whispers; but when the blow falls it does so with a stunning

ed a meeting of the Redcross shareholders. These were the leading professional men in the town who had invested their savings, and a small proportion of the neighbouring country gentlemen who had put a little capital-not often to spare in those days-in a concern once regarded as sound and incapable of collapse as t

ultation, like reproaches, would be of no avail; the failure was so much more extensive and complete than their worst fears had led them to anticipate. The men looked blank

d hear or answer. How was he to pay up the liabilities of his bank shares from his dwindling practice? What about inexperienced young girls driven out to make their own way in the world, and the gentlewoman (in every sense of the word) whom he had loved and cherished for four-and-twenty years, soon to be left a desolate, all but unprovided for widow? But better a thousand times to be dragged in different directions than to be sitting like Russell, locked in his room, his little children and their young mother shut out, holding between his hands the erect head of a soldier who had come out of many a hard battle, but none so hard as this ambuscade which had been sprung upon him after he had been invalided a dozen years before, and returned home to spend his declining years in peac

f their mother standing in the doorway of her room, and motioning to them to come in directly and speak with her. The poor lady really looked like

irls in one breath, hurrying towards her.

guard her secret with her life-at the same time painfully sensible that the bad news would be all over Redcross the next day, or the nex

rs. Millar sank down in a low wicker chair, and her daughter Dora in

edly, and then she grew incoherent. "What does it ma

ther in consternation. Was thei

s. Millar, recovering herself, "Oh dear

g wide her brown eyes. "Is it going to fail?" She, to

ords the timid qualification, though she was forced to add the next moment, "Your father has suspected things were going wrong for some time, and spoken of his suspicions to me repeatedly. He has just come back from a private meeting of the Redcross shareholders. He

f this is not failure, I don

tell us in her own way; it is not eas

eve the bank can hold out for another week; it may stop payment to-morrow,

nk help it?" crie

," said Mrs. M

e people, and a riot in the town," suggested Annie, getting excited over the idea. "The po

ra; "the poor Careys-who c

ors. There has always been such confidence in Carey's Bank, the Careys have been respected for generations; even now it is James Carey's misfortune and not his fault, though he may have been misle

is one of them,"

poor, poor mother, to have to think of us, and b

s mind what we shall do," lamented his sympathetic wife. "As usual, so many t

d Annie, "and I don't think it would qu

ell, I suppose I gave you a bad example," she corrected herself

sorrowfulness. She was very fond of her mother, who reciprocated the special fondness, while

rds exchanged in the street, would have been intolerable in "Robinson's," under the eyes of his satellites. Yet for the Millars to have refrained altogether from going to the one great shop in the town, where women oft did congregate, would have been to expose an event, the participators in which devoutly hoped was buried in oblivion. They had been in Miss Franklin's department without anything untoward happening; but it was neither "Robinson's" nor the person who served them there that flashed like lightning across Annie's thoughts at this crisis. It was the articles the girls had

savings will go, and he may count on having to pay bank 'calls' on his income till the business is wound up, which may not be in his lifetime. No doubt he is taking the darkest view of things at present." Then

ied both of the

her himself was born," pleaded Dor

ce," protested Annie, sitting down, taking off her hat and to

hard," she admitted, as she covertly wiped away a tear, "particularly when the fault has not been ours-we have always lived within your father's income, even though his practice has been falling off in these bad t

even driven in the brougham when father was not wanting it, in case you should over-work the horse-you have always said, but I really believe that you chose to walk for the simple reason that many o

for another of the retrenchments which your father mentioned was putting down the brougham. Yet how he is to manage his more distant patients on foot, at his age,

t I was thinking? that the only occasions on which you and father were regardless of expense have been where the profit or pleasure of us girls was concerned. You have given us every advantage you could get fo

ther and I. I think I may say th

m over at a high price once a week, and he condescended to help Rose with her drawing and painting. Then there was Mr. Blake, the university man whom father considere

hesitated, and nearly broke down-"well, I don't think you need mind so much your father's giving up this house and going into a smaller one; I'm sure I don't mind it at all when I think what

"Don't trouble about that, mother;

father as much as we can," said Dora in

east trial," assert

g people are so hopeful and inexperienced. I don't wish you to be unhopeful, of course, still you cannot tell what it is for your father and me to send our girls-our own girls whom we have been so proud and fond of, that have been making the old house

ne abroad. I don't question that they have difficulties to encounter, but I have yet to learn that staying at home will keep away crosses. Brave women can bear whatever trouble comes. I have often thought of such workers, if you will believe me"-the girl was in a glow of animation-"with both shame and envy. It is true I have n

r can be glad to send their young daughters out into the wide world to fight and suffer by themselves. It is not natural and

e. There was an irresistible twinkle in her dark eyes, in spite of the care and trouble that had

cked hands, she at last found words to put in her humble petition, "We shan't all go awa

uch a boon, supposing we are very poor," said Mrs. Millar sadly, "and in that

cried Dora

t to stay at home to set your c

ide, shyness, and possibly the unsubdued buoyance of two-and-twenty years. The last is apt to rebound swiftly, with a mixture of cheerfulness and defiance from any sorrow, short of the one sorrow which cannot be tra

y and meekly, looking a little puzzled by Annie's ill-timed nonsense, and apparen

" said mild Dora indignantl

mother. I was not in earnest," A

sigh on her own account. "It is the will of Providence. We are in God's hands, poor Mr

her. They borrowed impressiveness from the truthfulness of the speaker, in addition to the truth o

a far worse plight than we can be, and Cyril has been such a fool, though I don't suppose he meant much

as he will know it now, to his cost, I do not like to hear you casting it in his teeth to-day. P

e sacrificed to prop up Cyril's w

not passed his Cambridge examination any more than Cyril Carey. Not that it has been Ned's fault, or that he goes in for nothing save amusement, only he is so slow over his